1. Dallas/Fort Worth CASA RADAR TEST BED

2. CASA Motivation NEXRAD coverage at 3 km (10,000 ft) AGL.
While radar beam travels essentially straight lines, the earth is curving down and away, leaving a low-altitude coverage gap.
NEXRAD coverage at 1 km (~3200 ft) AGL.

4. CASA’s Solution
snow
wind
tornado
earth surface 40 80
120
160
200
240
RANGE (km)
Dense networks of low power, dual pol, multi-Doppler, X-band radars
High spatial and temporal resolution
Adaptive scans based on weather, user needs and radar capabilities

5. What is CASA? National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center
Academic, Government and Private Sector Partners
NOAA is a CASA partner
Developing new weather observation systems based on low-power, low-cost networks of radars.
Transition research to operations.
Year 8 of a 10-year research project

6. Comprehensive radar data in the lower atmosphere
Purpose: Establish a radar network in the Dallas-Fort Worth area using CASA technology.
Comprehensive radar data in the lower atmosphere
Faster radar return rate
Higher resolution
Flood and Wind (thunderstorm, tornado) forecasts
Flood and Wind decision support tools
Base level radar data
Public/Private Partnership

7. NEXRAD = 5 min between updates
CASA = 1 min between updates
Rapid, High Res. “smart” scans
balance competing user needs for data
adapt to changing weather
RHIs, PPIs, dual Doppler, sector scans, within a volume scan
Improved resolution, sensitivity, accuracy, and ability to support multiple users and multiple applications.

8. Collaborative Adaptive Scanning Meteorological Command and Control
Full explanation
May 14, 2009 Anadarko Tornado

9. Improve Forecaster/EM/Spotter Decisions
EM Communicator
CASA on AWIPS
CASA on WDSS-ii
NWS
Forecaster
NWS Chat
Twitter
EMs in Mobile EOC
CASA/WXscope
Spotters
EM in EOC

10. Steering Committee City of Dallas City of DeSoto City of Fort Worth
City of Grapevine
City of McKinney
City of Midlothian
City of North Richland Hills
City of Seagoville
Collin County
Denton County
DFW Airport
Johnson County
Tarrant County
National Weather Service
North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council
North Central Texas Council of Governments

11. Timeline May 2011 NCTCOG Approves Feasibility MOU with CASA
June 2011 CASA WX Steering Committee
August 2011 CASA WX Funding Subcommittee
September 2011 NWS Funds $500K toward DFW Testbed Demonstration Projects

12. Timeline Continues
October 2011 Commence relocation of Oklahoma test bed to DFW area
November 2011 Finalize initial sites
February 2012 Complete installation of initial four radar network
March 2012 Demonstration network operational
June 2012 Finalize second round of radar sites
October 2012 Complete installation of second round of radars

13. PROPOSED RADAR LAYOUT

14. Metro Area - This is the recommend placement of the first four sites.
Late winter 2012 – First 4 radars
Summer 2012 – next 2 radars
Fall 2012 – Next radar
Winter – 2013 CSU
The sites include UNT and UTA buildings, which have the best connectivity so far from all proposed sites and the FAA building, which is presumed to have good network access too.
Covers the metroplex with very high resolution data,
Covers the gap above the NEXRAD radar in Fort Worth.
The north south orientation will capture storms coming from the northwest and into the metroplex, while the existing NEXRAD can give warning for storms coming from the southwest.
Provides unprecdented low level coverage of the trinity river for flooding, and accurate precipitation estimates.
Also provide coverage of rivers, lakes to the north which impacts precipitation estimates.
Very fast updates (1 Min) for rapidly evolving severe weather in the Metroplex.
Disadvantages:
CASA will provide very low coverage, but some coverage provided by NEXRAD.
This system will focus more on real time data vs. forecasts.
Which airports are we covering in addition to DFW and Love Field.
FIRST FOUR SITES:
Site 7: UNT Discovery Park, Denton
Site 3: Alliance Airport, FAA building
Site 11: University of Texas, Arlington
Site 2: TBD – Carrollton, near G. Bush Tpk. And Kelly Blvd
Blue – submitted sites
Green, Yellow : new sites 14

15. Site 5: Terrell Municipal Airport Site 9: Mesquite Metro Airport
Northeast Expansion - This configuration continues coverage over highly populated areas and gets into areas where there is more of a radar gap.
NEXT FOUR SITES
Site 5: Terrell Municipal Airport
Site 9: Mesquite Metro Airport
Site 13: McKinney Public Safety Building
Site 3: TBD - Near Farm to Market Rd and County Rd. 536 15

16. Option #1: Expand to South West as one continuous network
Southwest Expansion. After the first eight radars, we could expand into the southwest which would provide more high resolution nowcasts and forecasts in the metroplex..
We could also consider going to the south west before going to the northeast. We do not have any site identified in this area.
Option #1: Expand to South West as one continuous network
TOTAL NETWORK SIZE = 12 RADARS 16

17. Option #2: Expand to SW as two disjoint networks
This is another possibility for southwest expansion that would incorporate the existing Nexrad radar, and also get us into more of a radar gap area and provide forecasts and nowcasts into the metroplex.
Option #2: Expand to SW as two disjoint networks
TOTAL NETWORK SIZE = 12 RADARS 17

18. Plan for Covering the Whole COG Area
Add 3 radars to connect the disjoint networks.
Add 3 radars to expand in South East direction.
Add 2 radars to expand in North East direction (including Commerce High School and one new site TBD at Merit, near Farm to Market Rd. 36 and County Rd. 1126)
TOTAL NETWORK SIZE = 20 RADARS 18

19. Proposed Demonstration Projects
Public Response to Severe Weather Warnings
Neighborhood-based Flash Flood Warnings
Development of Impacts-based Weather Information
Emergency Management Training

20. Proposed CASAWx Budget
Phase/year
Operations Costs
Demonstration Costs
Category
NCT Region
Sites*
CASA
Local, Federal and Private Partners
Subtotal Ops Costs
NCT RegionD
CASA D
Local, Federal and Private Partners D
Subtotal Demo costs
Total Project Phase Costs
Relocation
$ ,500
$ ,000
$ ,000 $
$ ,500 $
$ ,000 $
$ ,000
$ ,500
One
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,100,000
$ ,000
$ 1,600,000
$ ,160,000
Two
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ 1,650,000
$ ,205,000
Three
$ ,000
$ ,650,000
Four
Five
Total
$ ,652,500
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,000
$ ,357,500
$ ,200,000
$ ,400,000
$ 8,600,000
$ ,957,500
O&D cost share
49.2%
17.1%
21.7%
11.9%
100.0%
0.0%
25.6%
74.4%
Total cost share
13.8%
4.8%
6.1%
3.3%
28.1%
18.4%
53.5%
71.9%
*includes in-kind contributions from host jurisdictions

21. Total Project Cost Projections
Five year project timeline

22. CASA Wx Demonstration Cost Share
Five year project timeline

23. CASA Wx Operations Cost Share
*Includes in-kind costs, Five year project timeline

24. CASA Wx Total Project Cost Share
*includes in-kind costs fro host jurisdictions, Five year project timeline